Underkoffler Receives CSG 20 Under 40 Award
Michigan Assistant Attorney General Keith Underkoffler is honored with a Council of State Governments leadership award.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Law
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that Assistant Attorney General Keith Underkoffler will receive the Council of State Governments 20 under 40 Leadership Award. The award honors 20 outstanding elected and appointed officials.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights the work of a state attorney who has represented Michigan in environmental disputes at every level of the judiciary. It also reflects the state's role in shaping environmental litigation.
The CSG 20 under 40 Leadership Award recognizes 20 officials nationwide each year, with recipients required to be 40 or younger. The announcement did not detail the specific criteria weighting or the full pool of nominees considered.
The players
Dana Nessel
Dana Nessel is the Michigan Attorney General who announced the award and leads the state's legal department.
Keith Underkoffler
Keith Underkoffler is a Michigan Assistant Attorney General who has handled environmental litigation and previously advocated before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Council of State Governments
The Council of State Governments is a nonprofit organization that serves state government officials and administers the 20 under 40 Leadership Award.
The details
Underkoffler joined the Department of Attorney General's Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Division in 2022 after working in private practice. He previously clerked for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and was selected for the award by the Council of State Governments.
Timeline
2022: Underkoffler joins the Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Division.
November 6, 2026: Nessel announces the CSG award selection.
Legal Context
The award follows the CSG's long-running effort to spotlight emerging state leaders, a pattern that places Michigan's environmental litigators alongside officials from other states. It reflects a trend of states investing in attorneys who handle complex environmental cases at multiple court levels.
For Michigan residents, the award reflects the work of state attorneys who defend the state's environmental interests in court. The recognition does not itself change any law, fee, or regulation that affects daily life.
The takeaway
Recognition of young public attorneys can signal where a state is building legal expertise for future environmental disputes, which matters for anyone following Michigan's legal landscape.
Further reading
Explore more on Law coverage across Michigan and the nation.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Thealpenanews.
